The Government of Colombia and the ELN announce a ceasefire
He General secretary congratulated the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) for the agreements announced this Friday in Cuba on a bilateral national ceasefire of six monthsand on a mechanism to define the participation of Colombian society in the peace process.
“These are important steps that give hope to the Colombian people, especially the communities most affected by the conflict”, said its spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric. “The participation of the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, and the First Commander of the ELN, Antonio García, in the signing ceremony in Havana confirms the will policy of the parties.
The Secretary General trusts that the parties “will work together and in good faith” to fulfill the agreement.
The Colombian government has requested that the UN Mission verify and monitor the ceasefire and Guterres also reiterated his commitment to continue accompanying the dialogue through his Special Representative.
Carlos Ruiz Massie said in a message on his Twitter account that the agreement represents “a fundamental milestone in the process, opening a stage of permanent activity of the roundtable for the construction of peace.”
The Secretary General renewed his gratitude to the Government and people of Cuba for hosting this latest round of negotiations, “an unequivocal reflection of their commitment to peace in Colombia,” the spokesperson concluded.
The situation around Kherson is “dramatic” after the floods caused by the rupture of the Nova Kakhovka dam, the UN humanitarian coordinator said after visiting the area, while the agencies continue to ask Russia to allow access to the territories busy.
The flooding has continued to worsen in recent days, the UN’s top official in Ukraine, Denise Brown, told reporters on Friday from Bilozerka, a town located on the banks of the Dnipro river, about 20 kilometers west of Kherson. , in the area controlled by the Ukrainian government.
“The situation is dramatic. It is a town that is five kilometers from the front line, with daily bombardments, including yesterday, and now, due to the destruction of the bridge, which they already know is the result of the war Now there’s flooding that came in the middle of the night, and it came very fast, very fast, and people were completely caught off guard,” Brown said.
A spokesman for the human rights office said the UN still cannot establish whether what happened is a war crime.
“Since the circumstances of the incident remain unclear, it is premature to examine whether a war crime had been committed. We reiterate our call for an independent, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation to be carried out.”
Jeremy Laurence once again asked Russia to allow aid to enter the territories it occupied
“We have repeatedly asked Russia for access to the occupied territories and Russia has denied us this access. Not only office observers, but humanitarian agents are not allowed to enter the occupied territories. We reiterate the UN’s broader appeal to the Russian Federation to allow access to the occupied territories, to assist those who have suffered from the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the destruction of the Karkhovka dam.”
More help for those affected by the rains in Peru
UN agencies in Peru are mobilizing more aid for those affected by heavy rains on the country’s northern coast that have left more than 711,000 people in need of humanitarian aid.
More than 37,000 houses have been destroyed or uninhabitable as a result of floods and landslides and more than 93,000 people have lost their homes.
Angélica, 34 years old, pregnant and mother of four children, is in an official shelter in Piura, one of the departments most affected by the floods.
“I lost my whole house, it was sad to see how the water rose without stopping”, Explain. “We tried to get things out, but it all happened so fast. The only thing I managed to get out was my bed. Everything else was ruined.”
The increase in dengue cases, which have exceeded 110,000 (well above the total in 2022: 63,100) and 100 deaths, and the possibility of an El Niño phenomenon threaten to further deteriorate conditions.
United Nations agencies are delivering basic necessities and assisting the affected population in shelters.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has presented a “New Agenda for Mental Health in the Americas”, a set of recommendations to States to strengthen care after the pandemic.
The Americas is the only region where suicide rates have been increasing. In 2020, only one was invested in mental health 3% of total spending on health, and almost half of these funds were allocated to psychiatric hospitals
“The mental health burden is not a private fight, but a public crisis that warrants immediate action. It is not the battle of a single person, nor of a family, nor of a country, but rather a global challenge that requires our collective efforts,” said Epsy Campbell, former vice president of Costa Rica, and president of the PAHO Commission that has made the recommendations.
Sentence for sexual violence against women in Sudan
The human rights office has once again condemned attacks on civilians in Sudan and expressed concern about sexual violence against women.
Several airstrikes near the capital have left at least 16 civilians killed this week.
The office spokesman said 10 refugees in a shelter have also died and no fewer than 71 children have died in a Khartoum orphanage since fighting began due to a lack of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies.
“We are also concerned about reports of conflict-related sexual violence. Since the fighting began, our Office has received credible reports of 12 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, against at least 37 women – although the number could be higher. “In at least three incidents, the victims were girls. In one case, between 18 and 20 women were allegedly raped,” he said.
